The Philippine Football Federation has began its preparations for the expanded Philippines Football League season 2024 which is slated to kickoff on February 2024.
Following the success of the Copa Paulino Alcantara 2023 wherein amateur football clubs and armed forces made their entry in the national cup competition, PFF has seen this as an opportunity to expand the league and has sent out invites to all the clubs that has competed in the cup. Among the clubs invited are the following:
- The five (5) PFL clubs namely: Kaya FC-Iloilo, Dynamic Herb Cebu FC, Stallion Laguna FC, Maharlika Manila FC, and Mendiola FC 1991
- Amateur Football Clubs – Davao Aguilas UMak FC, Club de Futbol Manila, Tuloy FC, Pilipinas Dragons FC, Garelli United FC, Manila Digger FC, and Loyola FC
- Armed Forces Football Clubs – Philippine Air Force FC and Philippine Army FC
The invitation to the clubs is to expand the number of teams to 10-12 teams and to make the league inclusive to all football clubs in a hybrid format wherein professional and amateur clubs compete against one another. The league is also set to sport a unique three-stage competition format: the ranking phase, the division phase, and the knockout phase.
PFF president Mariano Araneta and general secretary/league commissioner Coco Torre highlights the development of club football in the country brought on by the expanded PFL.
“The success of the Copa Paulino Alcantara 2023 season just goes to show that football has to be inclusive to all stakeholders,” said Araneta. “The expansion of the league from the previous seven teams to a projected 10-12 teams and the new competition format will see plenty of action packed football of which the fans can anticipate every week.”
“We understand the current landscape brought on by the disparity in club football, hence the PFL has decided to craft a unique competition format through the ranking phase, division phase, and knockout phase to address the skill gap between the professional clubs and amateur clubs” said Torre.
The ranking phase will see all the clubs play one round of matches, of which the top and bottom teams will be divided into two categories in the division phase. The division phase will see the two groups play one round of matches, where all the teams in the first division and the top two teams in the second division will advance to the knockout phase which consists of the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final match.
“We also have to realize the economic limitations of some of the clubs, hence the league will also implement a hybrid home-and-away and centralized hosting of matches to help clubs alleviate the high costs of match organization, and to give particularly the amateur clubs the opportunity to experience the highest level of football competition in the country. With an expanded cast of participating clubs and a new competition format, fans can expect the revival of our national football league competition.”
The PFL plans to hold the ranking phase on a hybrid home-and-away and centralized format depending on the clubs preference. The division phase will see the teams in the first division compete in a home-and-away format while the second division will be centrally hosted. Lastly the knockout stage will be held in a home and away format.
Plans are already underway to conduct a competition workshop this December 2023. The PFL is also planning to hold talks on its return to national television with at least one (1) live match shown on television on a weekly basis.
PFF also encourages other football clubs interested to compete in the PFL season 2024. Interested clubs keen on participating in the league may send a letter of intent to [email protected].